GREEN SYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES FROM THE LEAF EXTRACT OF DENDROPHTHOE FALCATA (L.F.) ETTINGSH: PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND BIOACTIVITY STUDIES

An evergreen semiparasitic plant belonging to the Loranthaceae family, Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f.) Ettingsh is common throughout India and feeds on a variety of host species. The potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) produced by D. falcata-mediated processes is still unknown, despite the known bioactivity of D. falcata extracts. The present investigation examines the phytochemical profile of leaf extracts from D. falcata, their function in the synthesis of AgNPs, and the AgNPs’ bioactivity. The existence of tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids was verified by phytochemical analysis. AgNPs were synthesized and characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and XRD, confirming their structural integrity and stability. The DPPH radical scavenging assay revealed AgNPs’ robust antioxidant properties by showing that their capacity increased proportionately with incubation time and that their purple coloring significantly decreased. Also, AgNPs proved robust antibacterial activity, comparable to positive controls against E. coli, a gram-negative bacterium. They showed a notable inhibition zone against gram-positive bacteria at a 300 μl concentration. Further, AgNPs inhibited S. aureus, albeit only at higher concentrations. These findings indicate that D. falcata-mediated AgNPs are effective, eco-friendly biofunctional agents with potential applications in pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and biomedical fields.